Modern inventory systems, such as those in mail-order warehouses, supply chain distribution centers, airport luggage systems, and custom-order manufacturing facilities, face significant challenges in responding to requests for inventory items. As inventory systems grow, the challenges of simultaneously completing a large number of packing, storing, and other inventory-related tasks become non-trivial. For instance, in product distribution centers (e.g., fulfillment centers), vast quantities of products are processed for shipment to consumers traditionally using manual labor and/or mechanical handling equipment (e.g., conveyor systems, forklifts, etc.).
Inventory systems that utilize robots for managing inventory may periodically remove the robots from service in order to recharge the robots. As such, additional robots may be required in order to compensate for the removal of some robots from service for recharging. Further, recharging stations may utilize valuable floor space that may otherwise be used, for example, to store inventory.